Pedestrian mishaps, accidents in the home: cuts, burns, etc., regardless of severity are considered emergencies. Some of these may be simply treated with a first-aid kit at home or at work, but some can be life-threatening and need to be attended to in the emergency room by doctors.

Aside from the severe increases in blood sugar, development of infections among people with diabetes is the most common cause of consultation in the emergency room. Patients with diabetes are particularly predisposed to infections. A study showed that people with diabetes are 200 times more likely to be hospitalized for infectious disease and are 90 times more likely to die from infection. This increased risk of dying from infections may be mediated by diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Abnormally high blood sugar (or hyperglycemia) can be a life-threatening condition and warrants prompt recognition treatment. For a person with diabetes, this can be caused by missed diabetes medication such as insulin or oral hypoglycemic tablets, intake of too much food or by illness and stress.

Jason, 24 years old, has learned about hypoglycemia the hard way. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 10 years ago, and has been on twice-a-day insulin injections since. He is married, has two children, but lives in an apartment two hours away from them because he has to work in a call center in Manila.